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So now we meet Den! I'm not going to give a huge preface on him just because the interview is so long compared to my previous two entries.
But something we did not get into in the interview was that Den has done many of the animations/gifs/banners/other artwork you see around RFGen. In fact i believe he has done nearly all of it! I could be wrong about him doing all of it(if i am wrong someone please feel free to let me know  ) but i know he has done quite a bit for the site over the years.
And now onto number 3.
GENERAL
How did you find RFGeneration?
I knew Mike Collins (Lord Nepenthean) when we were both members at a site called Video Game Bible. When he started RFG I was right on board. I've been an RFG member since the site launched. That was June 8th, 2004.
What made you join?
Mike was a dedicated guy so I knew RFG was going to be a top notch outfit. I wanted to be there from the start and see where it went. I was honored when Mike asked me to be a part of the staff.
What made you stay?
I like the ideals that the site was founded on, no one is ever forgotten. It's great that every person who contributes anything is credited. It truly makes RFG a community effort. The members of the site are awesome, our board is a great place to hang out. It's very informative and rarely bitchy. And that Collection Tool we have here is a Marvelous BEAST!!!
Have you met or personally know any of the other members of the website?
Many! Phoenix1967 is great friend of mine. We met in High School so we've been friends nearly 30 years. Cawsccs is a friend of mine from work, he doesn't post but does have his collection logged here. I've met Tynstar, he's originally from Michigan and we did a trade in person when he was home visiting family. I know Sauza12. We did a trade and decided to meet at a bar for the swap. We've hung out and been to each others places a few times. A few years ago Sauza and I drove to Cincinnatti for the Cinci Classic. There I met TraderJake, St0rmTK421 and The Evil Leon. I think that's everybody.
Are you an active game collector? If so anything specific?
Yes, though I'd say obsessed game collector rather than active. I don't collect anything specific. If it's a video game or video game related I collect it.
Whats your favorite game or series? Why?
I guess Guitar Hero/Rock Band. Why? Because I'm 40 and I get to act out my adolescent Rock Star fantasies.
What are your passions?
My passions are my family and friends. Trying to be a good husband and dad. Helping my daughter grow up to be a good person. Music, Video Games, Books, Cartoon, Movies... all sorts of stuff.
What do you do outside of RFG?
I am the Creative Services Manager for a marketing company in Taylor, Michigan. I do a lot of graphic design, digital photography, web development and whatever else customers throw my way.
SPECIFICS
Right now your collection stands at just under 5k entries(only 3 of them being hardware). How much of your collection would you say is actually on the site right now?
With the exception of my hardware most of my collection has been uploaded. I still have a bunch of PC games and Plug N Plays that I haven't entered. I have a few hundred handhelds that I need to enter. I've been putting that off. I know a bunch of them need to have game entries created.
How have you managed to amass such a fantastically large collection?
I still have every game and console that I've gotten through the years. So when I started seriously collecting 7 or 8 years ago I already had an Atari 2600, Vic-20, C64, NES, Genesis, PS1, Gameboy Color and about 300 games between them. I've acquired the rest mostly from thrift shops, garage sales, flea markets and used game shops.
I'm very persistent with hunting. I'm fortunate to have several thrift shops near me and I hit them as often as I can. I'm also not shy about talking about my collection. I've had many people give me games or sell them to me cheaply. I also check the clearance aisle at Target often and make good use of those coupons Gamestop e-mails on Fridays.
How often do you pick up games/gaming related items?
I stop somewhere looking for games pretty much every day. It's getting hard to find stuff I don't already have but I still manage a few finds every week.
When did you make the change from just being a gamer to also being a collector? What was it that made you make the change, if anything, or did it just kind of metamorph into a dual hobby?
I was surfing one day and stumbled onto Digital Press. I was reading some stuff about the Atari 2600 and got nostalgic. I had my dad dig it out of the attic. I played it again after many years and had a blast. I picked up a few more games for it. Then did the same for my NES and Genesis. One day my wife says "Why don't you just try and find every there is." She was of course being sarcastic but several thousand games later I'm still taking that advice.
How long have you been collecting vinyl?
Much like my game stuff I still have all the vinyl from my youth. It was tucked away in a cabinet out of sight out of mind. One morning I was riding my bike. It was garbage day and I passed a house with a HUGE box of records on the curb. It was 6:00 and the morning and still dark so I took a peek. Black Sabbath, Hendrix, Zeppelin, The Doors, The Who, Pink Floyd... yeah, that box went home with me. I nabbed close to 100 records all in immaculate condition. Thus began another collection. That was about 3 years ago.
Do you go for all formats or try to stick more towards 33s or 45s or 78s?
My turntable doesn't have 78 speed so I only collect 33's and 45's.
GAMING FIRSTS
What was the first game you played and on what system and how old were you?
The first video game I ever played was Coleco's Electronic Quarterback. I got that in 1978 or 79 so I was 10 or 11. The first console I played was the Atari 2600. The game was maybe Combat or Asteroids, I was probably 13.
First console owned?
The Atari 2600. It was a gift from my parents when I made my Confirmation in 8th grade.
First game you bought yourself?
I think it was Starmaster for the 2600. I remember going to Service Merchandise to buy it.
What made you decide to buy that particular game?
That was 27 years ago. I have no idea.
First game you beat?
Strider for the NES. It was my first or second year of college and a joint effort between phoenix1967 and I. I remember we almost finished it in one night. We got stuck on a boss near the end. It took a few weeks to figure out the trick to take him out. We finished the rest of the game in short order after that.
First time you wanted to destroy something because of a game?
Well I've come close to smashing my Guitar Hero controller a few times but that's about it.
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